Sound Tigers' breakdown by position

Updated 10:32 pm, Wednesday, October 2, 2013

FORWARDS: There's depth and talent but -- this'll be a trend -- they're young. Top prospect Ryan Strome begins the year in the AHL after last year's leading scorer Brock Nelson got the call to stick with the New York Islanders; he's playing center at the moment. Rookie Anders Lee signed last spring out of Notre Dame and has been Strome's linemate in camp. Second-year pros Johan Sundstrom and John Persson are the team's top two returning scorers. Chris Bruton, a young-veteran pro, is among those joining the mix with a few rookies with potential and toughness in players like Brett Gallant and newcomer Justin Johnson.

DEFENSE: Four rookies move in to replace a couple of departed veterans and graduated AHL all-star Matt Donovan; the corps is deeper than it has been in the past, and there's good size (especially with the addition of 6-foot-8, 245-pound Joe Finley, who spent the second half of last season with the Islanders). It's a big year for third-year pros Aaron Ness (who has more NHL and AHL games, 167, than anyone else on the roster) and Calvin de Haan (whose shoulders have short-circuited his first two seasons).

GOALIES: It's Anders Nilsson's year to show what he's got, after his first two pro seasons were curtailed by a late-season sprained ankle in Year 1 and a gluten/dairy-allergy problem that limited him to 21 games last year. He has shown the potential to be a steady goalie when he's healthy. Kenny Reiter posted the best numbers of any Bridgeport goalie; he got no offensive support and is still looking for his first AHL win. It'll come. If needed, 2012 NCAA champion Parker Milner is waiting in Stockton.

OVERALL: Youth. (Look, we said it was a trend.) The 27 players in camp this week average 72 games of professional experience, or not quite a season. A lot of the tools are here. But it's hard to win in the AHL without veterans. Possible, yes, but it's hard. Health and continued progress could make it a good year.